What A Rainy Ending
by samiam004
Summary: Oh, what a shame, what a rainy ending given to a perfect day. This is a possible aftermath of Scarlett's accident.
1. Chapter 1

This is the first piece I've written about _Gone with the Wind_, inspired by Taylor Swift's _Cold as You._ Takes place during the miscarriage, movie-verse, and I've borrowed some lines directly from the movie as well.

Disclaimer: _Gone with the Wind_ or any of its characters do not belong to me. Oh, and the lyrics don't belong to me either.

…..

It was cold, that much she remembered. She lay helpless as she heard people scurrying about the room. Her stillness frightened her and every attempt at movement was stopped by a cool cloth on her forehead. The hands had the lightest touch. It almost felt as if they weren't inflicting any real pain upon her. Almost. Her whole body ached with pain and she felt like she was burning from the inside out.

"Scarlett, Scarlett?"

She thought she heard voices, but all the sounds she heard were muffled by a dull pounding inside her head. And then, the voices became quiet, barely the traces of a passing whisper. _At last_, she thought, _finally some peace._ But this was short lived. Upon the silence came that which frightened her most of all…the fog.

She felt her heart constrict with fear as the fog glided around her body. The touch made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and sent chills down her spine. She felt the fog squeeze the life out of her and the unbearable pain made her scream out for the one person who used to take all her fears away.

"Rhett! I want Rhett!" she tried to scream, but no one ever came.

The fog engulfed her and she felt like she was drowning. She didn't notice until it was all over, not until she saw the blood, _her blood_. At the sight of the pool of crimson liquid, the events leading up to her condition dawned upon her. The unexpected placidity provided by the hardwood floor, the stabbing pain at each contact with the polished staircase, and the argument that led to her fall.

_Oh, Rhett, how selfish I was to be baited by your words! And my baby had to pay the price._ _If only I wasn't so hot-tempered! If only I was more like Melly or Mother! I would never have given in to his mockery. Always Ashley. I haven't even thought of Ashley since his cowardly behavior after those rumors at the mill! Never again. _

The pain in her stomach only confirmed what she feared had happened. The baby was gone.

The realization made her feel numb. It left a bitter metallic taste in her mouth. Her tongue went dry and her lips began to chap at the lack of moisture. She struggled to open her eyes. The single candle that illuminated the dark room was almost blinding.

"Mammy," she whispered hoarsely.

The old woman's face brightened as her mistress' voice broke her silent vigil.

"Mah lamb's gwine be juz fine," she said as she helped Scarlett with a glass of water.

"Mammy, I'd like to be alone please."

"Yas'm, righ aftah I sen fo Dr. Meade!" She left Scarlett alone with her thoughts.

Glancing around her room, she was sent back to the night that the baby was conceived. It was common knowledge that Rhett frequented that Belle Watling's establishment, and now people speculated that infidelity was rampant with both spouses in the Butler marriage. Scarlett sighed deeply at the rumors. She was not having an affair with Ashley. She couldn't imagine inflicting upon Melly the pain she felt every time Rhett would spend his nights with Belle. She never knew when this change of heart had happened; all she knew was that she loved Melly like a sister and that Ashley would never be man enough for her in this lifetime after the war. She needed someone strong and fearless.

_I need Rhett but he definitely doesn't need me. He's always travelling on business, drinking and doing God-knows-what at Belle's, or doting upon our daughter – not that I can fault him for spending time with Bonnie. When he's with me, all he does is goad me into fights and treat me like a child. So I give in to his fights because I need to feel something, anything. And he does what he wants because I'm not who he wanted. He's got Bonnie to spoil and Belle in his bed. And here I am, his burden of a wife who lost their unborn child._

…..

Scarlett lay on the veranda, the fresh breeze cooling her skin. She sat contemplative, as she had been since the accident.

Rhett had been watching her for a while now. Her sadness washed over him from where he stood. Of course, he felt some remorse regarding her accident. _But it wasn't as if she wanted the baby. She said so herself that she didn't want any more children. She must be upset that her recovery is taking her away from her business._

Scarlett was so lost in thought that she didn't even hear Rhett's approach.

"I've come to ask for your forgiveness. In the hope that we can give our life together another chance."

"Our life together? When did we ever have a life together?" Scarlett asked with a biting tone.

"I guess you're right. But I'm sure if we could only try, we could be happy," Rhett implored.

"Well then, just what do you want me to do?"

"To begin with, give up the mill, Scarlett." Rhett saw her eyes light up in petulance. He had missed this Scarlett.

"Give up the mill? Well why should I? It's making more money than it ever did."

"Yes, I know, but we don't need it. Sell it. Or better still, give it to Ashley. Melanie has been such a friend to both of us. And I'm sure your beloved Mr. Wilkes will appreciate the gesture. I don't see him jumping at any other occupational prospects any time soon," he smirked as her eyes glowed even more.

_Always looking down at Ashley!_ Scarlett bit her tongue.

_This is what got me here in the first place_, she thought as she remembered her lost child. _The mill is the least of my worries. Change starts now._

"Alright, Rhett. For Melly," she agreed, the sparkle in her eyes ceasing to shine.

…..

Bonnie ran through the house with handpicked wildflowers in her hand.

"And where might you be going, princess?" Asked her father.

"These are for Mother! I chose them especially for her! Do you think she'll like them, Daddy?"

"Of course, why don't I take you up to her room right now?"

He knocked on Scarlett's door, patiently waiting for an answer, but his daughter had never learned the virtue. She made her way into her mother's room, her determined little face hidden behind the makeshift bouquet.

"Guess who, Mother?" She giggled.

This brought a smile to Scarlett's face.

"Why, I have the faintest idea! Let me think…"

"It's me, Mother! Bonnie!"

"I don't believe it! I don't see a little girl; all I see are little flowers."

Climbing up her mother's bed, Bonnie gave Scarlett her gift.

"Do you like them Mother? Daddy said you would," looking to her father for assurance.

Rhett nodded at his little girl. _They definitely make a charming picture. I wonder what has gotten into Scarlett. It isn't like her to play games with Bonnie._

"They're mighty pretty, precious," Scarlett said as she accepted the flowers.

"So are you," Bonnie replied, dimpling her cheeks for effect.

Scarlett recognized herself in the little girl at that moment. And she realized how she could win her daughter's heart.

_All a child ever wants is love and affection. And I've certainly been lacking in that. Good thing Rhett has always been there for Bonnie. He loves her very much. If only he could show me just a little bit of genuine affection as well._


	2. Chapter 2

She heard the shutting click of the front door as she lay in bed. Walking to the window, she saw his retreating silhouette disappear further down the street. The gentle breeze blowing through the curtains did nothing to assuage the stirrings of loneliness in her heart. She couldn't go back to sleep anymore.

Silently, she crept around the house. With a lone candle lighting her path, she found the darkened hallways more needlessly pretentious than usual. Gone was the natural elegance she had been accustomed to back in the heydays of Tara and Twelve Oaks. The house Rhett had let her build was filled with outrageously expensive furnishings, one more ostentatious than the next.

_No wonder Rhett barely spends any time at home._

At one point, this appealed to her need to show the world that Scarlett O'Hara was able to rise from the devastation of the war. The garish statues and ornate draperies made her feel that she was finally above destitution. That thought had once made her happy. Now, the shadows of her extravagance were the only things that kept her company in the dark hours of the night. And that scared her.

She found herself before Rhett's bedroom. The light was peeking underneath the closed door.

_Bonnie is terribly afraid of the dark. I wish there was a way to change that. _

Knowing he wasn't home, Scarlett entered the room she had banished her husband to many nights ago. The room was surrounded by a multitude of lamps. Beside the four-poster at the center of the room was a small child's bed where her daughter lay sleeping.

_What peaceful innocence, _Scarlett thought.

As she came closer, she couldn't help but smile. Stroking her daughter's hair, she gently removed Bonnie's thumb from her mouth. The movement woke the child.

"Mommy?" she blinked her bleary blue eyes open, "Where's Daddy?"

Scarlett did not know what to say. _Your father's with his whore? That wouldn't do. He stepped out for some air? In the middle of the night…Oh, what would Melly do?_

"He's working late, darling."

Her daughter seemed to believe this.

"Go back to sleep, Bonnie."

"But you're awake too!"

_She's definitely my child._

"I only came to check on you," Scarlett explained.

"Will you sleep here with me, Mother?" Bonnie never asked this of her before.

_What would Rhett think if he found me here after I insisted on keeping in separate bedrooms?_

"I'm sorry, darling, but Mother can't sleep with the light."

Bonnie pouted, "Daddy does."

_And there's the comparison. Why, he's spoiled her so much, she simply can't take no for an answer!_

"He says there's no difference, to sleep with the light or without! Daddy says he doesn't see the light when he closes his eyes and it's no bother! Can't you simply close your eyes, Mother?" Bonnie continued.

"Yes, I suppose but, like you said, baby, couldn't you sleep without the light since you don't see it when you close your eyes anyway?" she tried to reason.

"But it's gone when I open my eyes!"

"Not when you sleep through the night and wake up in the morning. If you wake up in the morning, the sunlight takes all the dark away. I promise."

"Is that why you sleep in so late, Mother? To only see the sun when you wake? Daddy says it's because you're too tired from playing with Uncle Ashley at the store all day!"

"Bonnie, I don't _play_ with Uncle Ashley, that's business," Scarlett corrected with alarm.

_What has he been saying to Bonnie about Ashley?!_

"Daddy says –"

"Hush, sweetheart," Scarlett cut her off, "you should really be getting your rest." She said as sweetly as possible.

"But only if you stay with me!"

"No light?" Scarlett tried once more.

"But what if the bear comes?" Bonnie whispered in fear.

"The bear?" Scarlett shook her head in confusion.

"In my nightmare, it's so scary, Mother! That's why I sleep with the light. It keeps the bear away. Do you have nightmares too, Mother?"

"Yes. Actually, I do." Scarlett admitted.

"But you don't sleep with the light?"

"No, I don't."

Bonnie seemed to think about this for a minute.

"No light. But you have nightmares too. Do you have a bear? Who makes your bear go away?" she pondered.

"Well," Scarlett said wistfully, "your Daddy does. At least he used to."

"Before he started working so late?"

"You're full of questions tonight, aren't you Bonnie?" Scarlett tickled her daughter in hopes of lightening the conversation.

Bonnie squirmed away from her mother.

"Come sleep here, Mother? But with the light cause Daddy's not home," she pleaded, making space for Scarlett on her bed.

Scarlett was at war with herself. _Rhett would be furious if he found me here and Bonnie looked as if she was on the verge of tears._

"How about this, darling? Why don't you accompany me to my room and we'll play a game before we sleep?"

Bonnie thought of her mother's enormous bed and the mention of prolonging the time before sleep. "Alright, Mother!" she said with glee.

Scarlett noticed how tightly her daughter clutched her hand as they made their way through the darkened hall.

_This is going to be harder than I thought._

"Here we are," Scarlett opened her bedroom door.

Bonnie made no move to enter. "Dark," was the only thing she said.

Scarlett picked her daughter up and Bonnie buried her face against her mother's neck as they went about illuminating the room.

"Better?" Scarlett asked.

Bonnie nodded as she crawled under the covers. "Game?" she asked with half-lidded eyes.

Scarlett laughed, "Perhaps tomorrow, when you wake?"

"Okay, Mother."

"Goodnight," Scarlett said as she lay against the pillows.

"Night, Mother. Don't put out the lights. We'll try tomorrow when Daddy's home."

Scarlett spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, jealous of Bonnie's deep slumber.

_These damn lights!_

The orange glow clouded her vision even when she closed her eyes.

_Surely I'll never get any sleep now._


	3. Chapter 3

For the second time that night, Scarlett roused to the sound of the front door.

_Any second now Rhett would wake the entire house searching for Bonnie, _she thought.

She saw him from her perch at the top of the grand staircase. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were unkempt. His tan features almost glowed as he was bathed in the soft light coming from candelabra.

_In any story he would fit perfectly the role of the dashing pirate captain who couldn't keep his hands away from the rum._

With that image in mind, Scarlett greeted in a cool voice, "Good evening, _Captain_ Butler."

Her presence startled him for a brief second, before he cleared away his hazy vision and responded in kind, "Good evening, _Mrs._ Butler." He bowed for added effect.

"And, what may I ask, are you doing, my pet – marauding about in the middle of the night?

How she hated that pet name. He never fell short of making her feel like she was beneath him. Even when he was drunk.

"I heard a noise and decided to check."

She couldn't help but throw in, "It wasn't as if my husband was around to protect his family from unforeseen threats."

Closing the distance between them, Rhett made his way up the staircase. He grasped her arm and dragged her a few feet back.

"Is that what I am to you, Scarlett, and unwelcome intruder? In my own home, no less," he guffawed.

She could see the frenzy in his eyes and could smell the alcohol in his breath.

_The last time he was this close…_Her mind drifted until all she could see were flashes of hands and bodies moving as one. All she could feel was his demanding yet yielding kisses. All she could hear was that half-whispered, "I love you," that never seemed to make it to the light of day.

That night she discovered what being _alive_ truly felt like. Rhett had ignited long lost sensations and emotions within her. She felt as if she had experienced a miracle and a miracle it truly was when she became conscious of the result of their coalescence.

That was before she found out that he went straight from her bed to _hers._ And before he took away their little girl for three months. And before she took a swan dive right by the very steps they currently occupied.

_How well that night turned out. I refuse to think about that any longer._

Sighing, she extricated her arm from his grip.

"Rhett," she began, "Bonnie is sleeping in my room tonight."

She turned away from him and made her way back to their daughter.

*****

Rhett made his way down the block and involuntarily slowed his gait as he saw the looming structure that was his house

…_The house was not beautiful. But people seldom realized this when they were caught by its charms…_

People couldn't help but be transfixed by the magnificent monstrosity that took up nearly half of Peachtree street. It was simply vulgar in the eyes of Atlanta to showcase that much wealth when most of the Old South could barely make ends meet.

_And it doesn't help either that everyone in Atlanta knows the story behind my ill-gotten riches,_ Rhett thought bitterly.

Slowly turning the knob, he welcomed the quiet stillness. It was nothing like the gnawing silence that plagued the entire house nights ago; when no one was certain of the outcome of Scarlett's condition.

_Calling it an accident would be putting it lightly. Wishing my wife a miscarriage and then, being directly responsible for said miscarriage has certainly reserved me a place in hell._

Since the day the doctor gave her the all-clear, Rhett didn't know whether to rejoice at her recovery or to weep at the circumstances surrounding the accident. He hit the bottle harder every night, hoping to rid himself of the image forever burned into his memory: Scarlett lying limp at the bottom of the stairs, looking not much different from any one of Bonnie's rag dolls.

His trip down the bad side of memory lane was cut short by his wife's voice, "Good evening, _Captain_ Butler."

The wondered if he was hallucinating, after all, she was standing at the top of the staircase, the very spot she always took when he replayed the most horrible pictures in his mind.

Clearing his muddled thoughts, "Good evening, _Mrs._ Butler."

She was really there; but the lack of color in her cheeks and the exhaustion in her eyes told him that she shouldn't have been. He thought of any reason why she should be up and about when she should have clearly been resting.

"And, what may I ask, are you doing, my pet – marauding about in the middle of the night?

"I heard a noise and decided to check."

She walked closer, "It wasn't as if my husband was around to protect his family from unforeseen threats."

Every step she took made his heart race a little bit faster.

_Scarlett, get away from the staircase!_ He frantically thought.

He imagined her once again, rolling down each step as if in slow motion. He couldn't get to her fast enough. Racing up the steps, he pushed her back almost violently. He looked into her eyes and realized that she was waiting for an answer.

Unwilling to explain his sudden burst of action, he answered in jest, "Is that what I am to you, Scarlett, and unwelcome intruder? In my own home, no less."

He was afraid of her answer. The thought that she saw him as a mere stranger did not sit well with him.

_This is not what I had promised when I had proposed marriage. After all our years together, this is where we stand._

He lowered his head dejectedly.

Her eyes had a glassy look to them and he thought that she may have been running a slight fever. He held her closer as he tried to assess her temperature.

As if affronted by his close presence, she sighed and stepped away.

"Rhett, Bonnie is sleeping in my room tonight."

Not awaiting any response from him, she left.

Rhett couldn't be bothered to argue. He had too many things on his mind tonight: alcohol plus thoughts and images and sounds of Scarlett falling that had never ebbed away from his memory. Seeing her almost deathly pale combined with the unfortunate setting of tonight's reunion did not help matters any. Seeing his mini-Scarlett would only remind him of the lost possibility of another mini-Scarlett or perhaps a mini-him.

Tomorrow. He would be the one to think about this tomorrow.

Tonight he just felt like drowning in his sorrows a little bit more.

…..

AN: And here, readers, are typical Scarlett and Rhett at cross purposes. I got the feeling that I've been portraying Scarlett too much as the victim. Rhett isn't exactly the big bad wolf either. I think after what happened, they're both hurting, they just don't know how to share that with each other so they can try to move on.

The story seems to have a mind of its own. I had ideas on how things would progress but everything turns out different as I type the story out. Your reviews make me want to write faster. I'm also curious as to what happens next. Thanks for reading what I have so far!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I apologize if I've caused any confusion with the changing of chapters and splitting of stories. This is a brand new chapter, and hopefully the final replacement for Chapter 4. Thanks for reading!

…..

The days passed by uneventfully in the Butler household. That is not to say that the atmosphere was not riddled with anticipation. It was simply uneventful for the simple fact that _nothing_ ever happened.

Nothing, save for the mounting tension crackling in the air whenever anyone was within the immediate presence of both Rhett and Scarlett.

They studiously averted their gazes as they passed each other through the house. But that didn't stop them from throwing searching glances when they thought that the other wasn't looking.

Their reasons were simple.

Scarlett couldn't bear to meet Rhett's eyes. _The last time he really looked at me was during that night of passion and had left at his earliest convenience. _She couldn't meet his unwavering stare knowing that he had seen her both at her most uninhibited and vulnerable states yet he refused to share even a little part of himself.

Rhett couldn't bear to meet Scarlett's eyes. _The way her piercing stare changed from angry to wounded right before they rolled back into her head would never leave my memory for as long as I live._ Every time he saw her, he would be reminded of that split second and he did not want to see her eyes that lifeless ever again.

They barely spoke unless it was in conjunction with their daughter. Every move they made around each other was measured, short and precise. It was as if they were afraid that the cloak they, together but separately, unintentionally threw over their latest shared ordeal would fall and force them to deal with the unsavory matter.

And on one fateful afternoon, it was inopportune that a very unassuming Mrs. Melanie Wilkes had been subjected to that awkward attempt at civility that the Butlers extended to each other.

…..

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Wilkes," Rhett said as he entered the drawing room and gestured toward the divan.

"Good afternoon, Captain Butler," Melanie said, taking a seat.

"Mrs. Wilkes, if I have yet to express my gratitude for you watching over Scarlett during her recovery, then I am doing so now."

"Please, Captain Butler. Scarlett is a dearest sister to me. Nothing could've kept me from her during her time of need," she said compassionately.

Her words had hit Rhett much deeper than she knew.

"As you are aware, she stayed for me the night I had my Beau and if it wasn't for you, then we'd surely never have made it out of Atlanta. What I did for Scarlett was nothing short of what she would have done for me if our roles had been reversed."

He nodded solemnly but the moment had ended when Scarlett entered.

"Hello, Melly," Scarlett greeted with a kiss on the cheek.

Melanie noticed from the corner of her eye how Captain Butler looked over his wife before moving towards the table for refreshments.

After accepting the offered tea cup with a grateful smile at Rhett, she looked towards her sister in law, "How are you feeling, darling?"

"I'm healing quite satisfactorily Melly, thank you," she answered, taking her own proffered tea cup without glancing at her husband and then setting it aside.

Scarlett sat next to her on the sofa; a soft smile adorning her face, back rigid, and hands delicately folded in her lap. Melanie thought that it was a good sign of her recuperation.

Rhett, however, sitting in an overstuffed armchair directly from the ladies thought otherwise. He studied her profile. _Forced smile, stiff posture, wringing of hands, those had to mean something, right?_

"Ashley sends his love," Melanie said kindly.

To which Rhett scoffed and promptly covered with a cough.

Scarlett shot him a withering glare and it was the first time their eyes made contact in weeks.

They were caught unaware by the depth of emotions they had so far been successful at keeping from each other. And if they had seen their own expressions while they searched the other for questions or answers, for they weren't quite sure of what they had been expecting to find, then they would've noticed the similarity between their probing looks for longing, need, and assurance.

Even Melanie, schooled in the ladylike arts of ignoring that what must be ignored, couldn't help but flush at the immediate change in mood brought about by this connection.

Fortunately for her, the chime of the grandfather's clock seemed to break the couple from their stupor.

"Speaking of Mr. Wilkes," Rhett spoke to Melanie, "Please inform him that I would like request his audience regarding certain business matters. He can visit me at the bank at any time."

"Of course, Captain Butler."

Melanie saw Scarlett pale and attributing this to her health, she said, "Dear, I wouldn't mind taking my leave if you'd feel like resting."

Rhett was startled by her words and began to move in Scarlett's direction.

"Don't be silly Melly, we haven't seen each other in days and you know how much I enjoy your company. Don't you worry, I'm completely fine," Scarlett replied with honest sincerity.

Her odd look towards Rhett's sudden behavior stopped him in his tracks.

"I'm glad. Forgive me for being so forward, but when I had heard the news, I had gotten the biggest shock of my life! Dear, Scarlett, I'm so very happy to see you well. You see, I myself had been hoping for a baby of my own, but sometimes," she said softly, "sometimes, it isn't just meant to be."

Scarlett imperceptibly turned to Rhett before lowering her head.

Melanie was alarmed, "I apologize for upsetting you, darling!"

But it was already too late. Tears had already begun to roll down Scarlett's cheeks.

Melanie took Scarlett in her arms and for the first time, Scarlett finally received the comfort she needed after the horrible accident.

"I'm so glad you're here, Melly!" She managed to choke out between sobs.

Feeling quite useless with Melanie being able to accomplish what he had longed to do since the beginning of this whole mess, Rhett quietly excused himself and fled for the safety of his study.


	5. Chapter 5

Every tear Scarlett cried built up to force the first chink in her armor.

And she was helpless to stop it.

During that melancholic session, she had poured out her deepest grievances to Melanie's ever listening ears without fear of judgment or admonition. Melanie would never have told her that it was her fault or that the loss was something she had deserved. For that, Scarlett was grateful.

Melanie had become her constant companion throughout all her disappointments and was the perfect balance to Scarlett's more assertive ways.

Exactly as she complemented Scarlett's less than observant nature, she did not miss the stricken look on Captain Butler's face as she had mentioned the very issue that caused this unrelenting stationary dance between the couple.

She frowned at the implications of a husband offering no comfort and leaving behind his grief-stricken wife but she knew that he had to have been hurting as well. She saw first-hand how Scarlett's accident had affected his demeanor and felt unyielding concern towards him.

While Scarlett had her as a confidant, she wasn't entirely certain if Captain Butler had his own acquaintance with whom he could share his sorrows with.

And as she was kind-hearted Melanie Wilkes, never did she entertain the idea that Captain Butler's _confidant_ came in the form of a Madam Belle Watling.

…..

Rhett Butler was not the kind of man who would end his day settled in front of a fireplace enjoying a good book. He was far too adventurous for that kind of activity. That kind of leisurely occupation was suited more to gentlemen the likes of Ashley Wilkes.

But when he found his resolve crumbling at the sight of his wife cradled in her best friend's arms, weeping over a _mistake _that he could have avoided, he found himself frantically leafing through the volumes in his study.

He searched for the passage he was forced into reading a lifetime ago, when his father had first decided that he had been acting out of line, intent on discovering a hidden lesson that he was sure he had missed.

"_Absolution," his father had said, "can only be attained after you have journeyed through the depths of hell."_

"The _Divina Commedia_," he breathed.

Picking up the first volume, he set out to read the _Inferno._

Faintly in the background, he could hear Scarlett's muffled sobs and Melanie's whispered words of comfort.

_How terribly fitting._

…..

Midway through life's journey, Rhett Butler had found himself surrounded by shadows in the Dark Woods of Error.

Shrouded by blinding darkness, he stumbled across a lone green four-leaf clover. Familiar with the Irish belief that such natural irregularities usually brought its bearers good luck, he plucked the clover from the ground with the intention of making it his.

He thought that he had seen light as soon as the clover was firmly encased in his grasp. Momentarily blinded by the sudden clarity, he stumbled forward until he knocked into a solid foundation.

Looking up, he was faced by an imposing structure. Taking a few steps, he continued his aimless exploration until he ended up at the exact same spot he initially began; whereupon he met three figures: the she-wolf of incontinence, the lion of violence and ambition, and the leopard of malice and fraud.

He was transfixed by the she-wolf's startling green eyes and a pang of familiarity crept its way into his consciousness.

All of a sudden, the lion pounced from its perch and knocked over the she-wolf. Rhett sprang to his feet, ready to protect the hapless creature. The lion rounded his prey but the leopard next to him seemed to have other plans.

The leopard fended off the callous lion and nudged the she-wolf to her feet. They seemed to get along at first, until the leopard brought down the she-wolf and began trample on her body.

The she-wolf's black coat transformed into curling tufts of silky black hair and she was replaced by figure of a lifeless Scarlett.

Rushing to pry off the malevolent leopard, Rhett found himself staring into the coldest pair of black eyes he had ever seen. To his horror, he recognized that he had been staring into his own eyes. This realization sent an unpleasant chill down his spine and clutched at his heart until the ability to breathe became but a distant memory.

…..

A couple of nights after he had successfully completed the book, Rhett awoke to his own screams of despair instead of his wife's or daughter's.

Taking in his surroundings, he found himself in a familiar back room in Belle's establishment. Pleased to find himself alone, he looked towards the side table and found the source of his stupor. The decanter was barely a quarter full.

Regaining his composure he tried to remember the nightmare but it wouldn't come. All he had left were images of, once again, Scarlett's lifeless body and himself as her assailant.

_The leopard. I am the leopard. I am the leopard of malice and fraud. Malice and fraud!_

A bitter chuckle escaped his lips.

Hearing the click of the door, he turned to his visitor, "I did it, Belle, all of it. All of Scarlett's suffering, I'm the one responsible."

Placing a cool hand on his back, Belle Watling did the only thing she could do for her friend at the moment. She sat in silence as she watched the man she had secretly longed for shed tears in search of atonement.

Every tear Rhett cried built up to force the first chink in his armor.

And he was helpless to stop it.


	6. Chapter 6

Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler was set against leaving the confines of her bed that day.

For some reason she could not fathom, the supple mattress, soft pillows, and simple cotton duvet that kept her warm throughout the night seemed most inviting. Blinking against the relative brightness, she craned her neck towards the partially open window and was disgruntled at what she saw.

The wind howled at the gray-colored sky and rain pelted down in angry bursts of torrents from the clouds. The abrupt change in weather could have mirrored her previous temperament only a few short days before; but today her disposition could be compared to a more subdued soothing drizzle.

It was the first time in what seemed like a very long time that she had stirred from a peaceful dreamless sleep. Glancing at the clock, she noticed that dawn had barely broken.

This moment of serenity, however, was short lived; for upon the flash of light that tore through the somber sky, her bedroom door was thrown open and came in little Bonnie Blue Butler with hands covering her ears in preparation for the coming thunder.

"Mother!" she wailed as she climbed on Scarlett's bed.

She burrowed herself under her mother's blankets and trembled slightly at the thunder's roar.

…..

Across town at the brothel where he had spent the night, Rhett Butler pounded the window sill in frustration as looked over the flooded street.

_Bonnie isn't too fond of storms, and come to think of it, neither is Scarlett._

He stared out the moistened glass dejectedly, willing the flood water to ebb away faster so he could get home to his girls.

_Even if only one of them is willing to accept my comfort._

…..

"Where's Daddy?" Bonnie's voice shook.

_Rhett isn't home?_

Suddenly, Scarlett panicked at the thought of dealing with her daughter during this potential crisis. With Rhett gone and with the storm showing no signs of relenting, Bonnie could reach near hysteria before the clock struck to signal the hour.

…..

Things between Rhett and Scarlett hadn't progressed as of late but they hadn't been regressing into their old ways of brutal verbal sparring either. They seemed to have reached an impasse after the day of Melanie's visit.

Or at least Scarlett had.

She had felt considerably lighter after talking things over with Melanie and as it turned out, a good cry was essential to the release of all her pent up emotions reaching far back beyond the accident. She contended that the accident _was_ an accident and that her mourning period, that by no means will ever be forgotten, was about to come to a peaceful conclusion.

The only thing left to worry about was the state of her marriage and her husband. She was never quite sure of where she really stood with Rhett, but the accident had placed them on even less stable unsteady ground.

Rhett, on the other hand, only felt more remorse at his provocations that had caused the accident. While Scarlett had never given him any direct inclination that she held him responsible, he had taken it upon himself to shoulder all the blame. Added to his guilty conscience was his wife's true misery over the loss of the baby.

That was the precise reason why he had failed to notice Scarlett's slowly softening countenance and the willingness in her eyes to meet him halfway.

The cracks in their armors that had been chipped unwittingly by Melanie Wilkes had begun their courses from separate directions but have slowly paved their way into a single fracture line that would ensure that, while it was positively indubitable at this stage, Rhett and Scarlett would at least fall together.

…..

"Make it stop!" Bonnie pleaded of her mother when another combination of lightning and thunder cut its way through the sky.

Scarlett was at a loss. While she, herself, had not been comfortable with thunderstorms either, her anxiety levels had never reached that of her daughter's.

"Darling," she hugged Bonnie close, "it will be over soon."

"But I want it to stop now! It makes such awful noises!" Bonnie cried.

She buried her tearstained face against Scarlett's neck and was comforted by her mother's scent. It was nothing like her father's, masculine with a hint of cigars, but she found it reassuring nonetheless.

Softly, Scarlett began a long forgotten tune that made her think of her own mother and the quiet times she spent indoors when the rain decided to grace Tara with its presence.

…..

Stepping through the threshold before a particularly loud crack of thunder, Rhett decided that wading through the storm was definitely worth it. And so was the reprimand he was sure to receive from Mammy for the puddle his soaking clothes had created.

…..

Moving to a settee in a far corner of the room away from the window, Scarlett relished in the feel of her daughter in her arms and cried the last tears she would ever shed for her other, lost child.

Bonnie picked her head up and peered into Scarlett's face.

"Why are you crying, Momma?" she wiped at Scarlett's tears.

Scarlett felt her heart clench at her child's gesture.

"Is it the baby?" Bonnie continued.

Scarlett was stunned. Throughout the chaos, she never even thought about how everything had affected Bonnie.

"What do you know about the baby, darling?"

"Not much." Bonnie shook her head, "I heard the servants say the baby's gone, that's why the doctor was here, that's why you had to stay in bed dreadful long, that's why you and Daddy are so sad. Daddy cries sometimes too, Momma, when he thinks I'm sleeping."

"I'm so sorry, baby," Scarlett drew Bonnie back into her embrace.

"Where'd the baby go?" Bonnie asked with innocent curiosity, "How come I never saw it?"

"It's in heaven now, with your grandmother and grandfather. You never had the chance to meet them either," Scarlett finally said.

"It's gonna be okay, Momma. You still got me."

Scarlett's heart was warmed at those words.

"I love you, Bonnie."

"I know, Mother. I love you too."

Soon, Bonnie was lulled into sleep my Scarlett's soft humming and this was the pleasant image that greeted Rhett as he entered his wife's bedroom.

…..

A/N: It might be a while before the next chapter will be posted because I am currently stuck. Where am I supposed to go from here? Help would be very much appreciated! Thanks for reading!


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